Automatic record pile



Jam w, 1.9280 1,656,047

G. D. COOPER\ 7 AUTOMATIC RECORD FILE Filed Dec, 2, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet l Jan. 10, 1928. 1,656,047

7 G. 0. COOPER AUTOMATIC RECORD FILE Filed Dec. 2. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan 10,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

own" course, or LEON, Iowa, assrenoa or one-Tram TO CHARLES H. Jonr sroiv, or LEON, IOWA.

AUTOMATIC RECORD FILE.

Application filed December The obiect of my invention is to provide an automatic record Iile of simple, durable and inexpensive construction.

More particularly, it is my obgect to provide an automatic record tile having compartments or separators which can. be automatically moved from one end to the other of a series.

it is a further object to provide in such a device an inclined cz'ising with a series of compartment members or separators adapted to slide toward the lower end of the casineq and to provide means whereby one member at the lower end may be shifted au-- tomatically from the lower end to the upper end of the series.

It is another purpose to provide in such a device. means for preventing the operation of the automatic mechanism whenever the lower compartment contains cards or the like, so that the lower compartment UlllSt? be emptied before the device is operated.

lVith these and other objects in view, my invention consists in the construction, arrai'ie'en'ient and combination of the various parts of my autoi'i'iatic record file, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying; drawings, in which:

i in'ure 1 is a, front elevation of an automatic record tile cn'ibodyin r my invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same, parts being shown in section and parts being broken away. i

Figure this a, detail, transverse, sectional. view taken on the line of Figure 2.

l ie urc 4: a detail, sectional view of part of the operz-iting mechanism.

l ie ure 5 is a detail, sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 2.

Figure (i is a detail, sectional view taken on the l i ne,(l-6 of Figure 2.

Figures 7 and it are loiuritudilnil, sectional views of the lower end of the casing, showing the controlling parts in different. positions; and 1 Figure 9 is an enlarged, detail, sectional view illustrating; the engaging finger on the operating; chains.

My improved device comprises a container indicated gcncrallv by the rcferiuice charactor 10, which may be of any suitable material, size and shape for the purpose.

The container is higher at the rear than at the forwardend and is of proper width for the records to be kept.

The container 10 has the bottom 10", the front wall 10*, the higher, rear wall 10 and the side walls 10.

The container has in its upper portion a bottom n'ieinber 11 inclined from its upper end to its lower end and terminating short of the lower end, as shown for instance in Figures 7 and 8.

This bottom illGHllJBl together with the upper portions of the sides 10 of the container forms a record receiving case.

it is my purpose to provide in this case ,ihus forn'ied series of separators, preferably having the form of compartment niemhers, whereby compartments may be formed to receive records, such as cards or the like.

These compartn'ient members are indicated generally by the reference character 12 and in each instance comprise a front Wall 12 and side walls 12 The lower edges of the side walls are beveled as at 13 to correspond to the inclination of the bottom member 11, so that normally the front walls 12 will stand upright.

The compartn'ient members 12 are arranged in a series as shown for instance in Figure 2 with the inner edges of the walls 12 engaging the front surfaces of the Walls 12%, in succc drawings.

The upper edges of the side walls 12" are likewise beveled as shown at 14-.

The front walls 12 have in their upper edges preferably at the middle, not -lies 1.5, as shown in Figure l, to permit convenient access to the cards or other contents of the com 'a'irtinents. i

F or purposes of illustration, 1 may suggest that this device may be used for lumping records for a period of one month, and I therefore preferably use thirty-one ofthe conipz'irti'nent members 12 to correspond to the thirty-one days of the longest month, and these comrmrtn'ient n'i'einbers are preferably provided with indicating numerals 16, as shown in Figure 1. Extra cards are placed in the various coinpartnients for keeping the .ion as clearly shown in the tit) provide means for automatically taking out the lower compartment member 12 and carrying it to the upper part of the series.

It is also desirablethat the mechanism for so' transferring the compartment member should be inoperative until some disposition has been made of the cards in the lower compartment, and so I have provided means whereby the contents of the lower compartment prevent the operation of the transfer mechanism.

The transfer mechanism will now be described.

Transfer median-ism.

It willhave been noted that the bottom 11 terminates short of the lower end of the casing which contains the compartment members 12. I provide below the lower end of the bottom llfor closing the opening between the lower edge thereof and the front wall 10 of the main container, a slidable bottom member 17 arranged to slide in guides 18 supported by the side walls 10 of the main container just underneath the bottom 11. Means hereinafter described are provided for sliding this bottom member 17 for releasing the lowermost compartment member 12. That means will now be described.

' Inthe central lower part of the bottom member 17 is an elongated notch 19 shown for instance in Figure 3.

Mounted in the notch is a trigger plate 20 .laaving downwardly projecting ears 21 which register with similar, downwardly projecting ears 22 formed on the false bottom 17 adjacent to'the opening 19 therein.

The ears 21 are pivoted to the ears 22 by means of a p-intle 23 shown in Figures 3, 7 and 8. v The trigger plate 20 is almost balanced, but has a little more weight above its pivot than below it so that the upper end will tend to swing down.

However,'wl1en there is a Cardin the lower compartment resting against the lower end Ofthe trigger plate 20, it will depress the lower end and thus raise the upper end of fsuchtrigger plate.

Fixed to the bottom of the trigger plate is a spring plate 24 which projects downwa'rdly along the trigger plate 20 and is so arranged that its resiliency tends to hold the lower. part downwardly away from the trigger plate 20, as shown in Figure 7 i '3, normally tend to hold the Atthe lower end of the spring plate 21- is the upwardly projecting hook member The front container wall 10" has a transverse groove 2-6 to receive the lower edge of the false bottom 17 as shown in F igure 7 and to partially receive the hook 25.

Theupper edge of the trigger plate 20 has a downwardly inclined finger 27 shown in Figure 2.

Springs 28 secured to the upper portion of the sliding false bottom 17 and to the guides 18, as shown for instance in Figure false bottom 17 at the lower limit of its movement.

Below the opening at the lower end of the bottom 11 is a cross bar 29 in which is an adjustable screw 30 extending just below the spring 24:, as shown in Figures 7 and S, and so located that when the movable bottom 17 is at the lower limit of its movement, the screw 30 does not affect the position of the spring, but when the movable bottom is pulled upwardly, the spring 2% slides over the screw 30 for causing the hooked nien'lber 25 to be forced upwardly as shown in Fig ure 8.

The springs 28 normally hold the slidable bottom member 17 at the lower limit of its movement.

For pulling the bottom upwardly and thus letting the lowermost compartment member 12 drop out of the casing and for then carrying such lower member to the top of the casing and replacing it in the series, the following means have been provided: I

Slidably mounted in guides 31 is a rod 32 having on its lower end a hook 323 for coacting with the hook member 27.

lVhen the rod 32 is pulled upuurrdlv, it will engage the hook 27 for sliding upwardly the trigger plate 20 and the slidablc bottom 17. This is true, of course, whcn the upper end of the trigger plate 20 is allowed to drop downwardly to position where the hook member 37 will be in the path of the hook If there is a card in the lowermost ((Jlllparti'nent, it will weight down the lower end of the trigger plate 20 and keep the upper end thereof raised, so that when the rodilfl pulled upwardly, the hook 331 will clear the hook 27 and there will he no actuation of the trigger plate 20 or the bottom 17.

In the upper part of the container 10 is mounted a shaft 34. On the shaft 84- is a mutilated gear 35 from which part of the teeth are omitted for a short distance as at 36. A gear casing 37 is provided for the gear 35 and the other pinions hereinafter referred to.

Pivoted to the casing 37 adjacent to the gear 35 is a bell crank lever 38 shown in Figure 1. On the gear 35 is a projecting pin 89 so arranged that in the rotation of the gear 35, the pin 39 engages. one arm of the bell crank lever for rocking the lever a certain distance before the pin 39 clears such arm.

A rod 420 projects from the end of the other arm 01 the bell crank lever 38 through a curved slot (t1 in the wall 10 and is pivoted to a link 42 and extends through an eye 4; in the upper end of the rod. 42, which in turnis pivoted to the rod 82.

The rod 4h) extends across the container 10 and has its farther end received in a socket it)" in such manner as to form practically a pivotal connection.

The lever is provided with a supplementary casing 43 forming); part of the cas inn 37.

The pivot pin is oi the lever 8 is really supported by the casing portion 48.

It will be seen that when the gear 35 is rotated, the pin 39 will engage the arm 38 ot' the bell crank lever 38 for rocking the lever and moving the link 42 to the right from its position shown in Figure 2 for sliding; the bottom inei'uber 17 to its open position.

On the shaft 3d outside the casing 37 crank arm 45.

In the upper part of the container 10 is a transverse shaft 46 on VVlllC is a pinion 47 meshing with an intermediate pinion 48 on the shatt 419. The pinion d8 is intended to link with the teeth of the gear 35.

On the shaft 46 are sprockets 50 in line I with the sprockets 51 at the lower forward part of the container 10. The sprockets 51 are mounted on a transverse shaft 52.

On the pairs of sprockets 50 and 51 are chains 58. On the chains 53 are equidistantly spaced curved fingers 5% arranged in j pposite pairs. The upper stretches of the chains o3 travel close to the upper edge of the bottom 11.

E lecured to the inside surface of the front wall 10" is a spring: 56 shown in Figure 2, the purpose of which will be later referred to and just at the lower end of that spring is a shelf or the like 57.

At the upper end. of? the casing having the bottom lTlDIlllHfl 11 is a, casing wall 58 inside the container 10, which is curved trom top to botton'i as shown iin'liigure 2 and has the slots 55 at its lower edge for the chains 53 and the lingers El i."

Flecurcd to the wall 58 near its lower part is a spring 59 which is curved l'ipwardly and forwardly as shown.

In the side of the gear 35 is a deprer sion 60.

in the casino; 37 is provided a socket 61 in which is received a spring 62 and a short plunger (33 having; a, rounded, outer end adapted tocoact with the depression 60.

T will now describe the n'acticafl operatioi'i of my improved automatic record tile and I believe that during such description, the construction will be made clearer.

'lherea'fter, I shall describe the magazine which I n'e'lerahly provide in the container 10.

Let it be assumed that the COllll'lZlltIllGfit member 12 are all arranged in series as shown .tor instance in Figures 1 and 2.

The meinorai'idnin cards for the various days off the month are placed in the various coiupaitinents.

Ordinarily, it is to be expected. that the memorandum cards in the lower comp-art nsent will be taken out and the business re- "lcrrrd to thereon in some way taken care of.

All ot' the cards must be taken out bee the device can be operated, because it card is left in the lower coinpartn'ient, seer i ll hold the Forward end of the tri 1* down, and thus hold the curved hool: member 33'?" out oi the path of the hook meniher 38.

l i hen the last card has been taken out of the lower compartment, the operator grasps the crank handle 4-5 and gives to it one complete revolutionv :le can readily determine when the revolution has been completed, he- (JZHWP, the plui'igi er 68 will enter the depression {it and indicate the completion ot the operation.

fit the hegini'iing oi a revolution and ot a cycle of operations of the device, the hook members 5-1 are at the extreme lower end and the extreme upper end of the chains 53.

The first part ot the rotation ogli the gear 35 does not affect the pinions {l8 and 4-? because of the fact that there are no teeth on the portion 86 ot the gear 35.

The first part oi? this rotation of the gear 35 does, however, bring; the pin P9 to po tion tor rocking the lever 38 for moving the link 42 and the rod to the night. This movement causes the hook i'i'iember 33 to ensrage the hook on the trigger plate 20 tor carrying; the trigger plate and the hottom niei'uber 1T upwardly.

The hotton'i member guides 18.

l hen the bottom incuiliin 1? slides in the 1.7 sl ides out from under the lowerumst compartment H iio h niwlnw numoci n, ha.iompntmcnl iucimni diops downwardly as indicated by the arrow in.

bottom member 17 will close the lower end ot the compartn'ient member 12 so engaged Figure 4) clears the arm 38" of the bell crank lever 38, whereupon the springs 28 shown in Figures 2 and 3 will slide the bot tom member 17 downwardly again.

Tl'io continued rotation of the gear causes the teeth thereon to engage the teeth of thepinion 4-8 for rotating that pinion and consequently the pinion li'and the shaft ll;

' and the sprockets for advancing the chains 53 and bringingthe lower lingers 59: into engagement with the lower edge ot the compartment member 12 lying on the till chains. 7

The chains are so spac wl that the side walls of the compartment memler 12 are farther apart than the Cllfitll'lri, so that the main wall 12 of the compartment men'iber rests directly on the chains.

The lingersolengage the lower edge of the wall 12 and carry the compartment member upwardly until it reaches the wall 58, which is of. such width as to permit the side walls 12 of the compartment member to lie at the opposite edges of the all 538 overlapping such edges.

'lhe compartment member 12, being carried up the chains, passes upwardly between the bottom 11 and the wall 58 and presses against the spring 59, forcing it toward the wall 58. i

The curved fingers 5&- as they start around the sprockets 50 liftthe compartment member 12 away. from the sprockets 50 and upwardly;whereupon as soon as the lower edge oi the compartment member 2 clears the upper edge of the bottom 11, the spring 59 will kick the compartmentmember 12 upwardly and forwardly until the lower edge thereof rests on the bottom 11..

.twill, of course, be understood that the series shown in Figure 2 will have slid downwardly one con'ipartment thickness, after the lowermost con'ipartment member 12 has been dropped out 0; the series.

This cycle of operations may be repeated whenever it is desired to carry the lowermost compartment member tothe upper end 01" the series.

The advantages of my device will be largely understood from the foregoing description.

I have provided a convenient ofiice accessory arranged for the convenient use of blank printed forms or colored cards, which may beliled and sorted tor reference or reminder for any succeeding day for a period of one month.

-t "'llf' 'll it com an ment is piovn Gt ()1 (at l .iy. The date of each compartment is visible at all times and it is easy to observe the arrangement of all the dates on account of the slanting arrangement of the casing at the top of the container 10.

incidentally, I preferably provide a window (Eel in the wall 10", through which may be seen date indicia on the front of the respective compartment members 12. Each day memorandum cards for the day will be in the lowermost compartment readily accessible for such use as may be desirable.

Until all the cards ol the lowermost compartment are removed, it is impossible upon ordinary operation of the machine to transfer the lowern'iost compartment member 12 from the lower end of the series to the upper end of the series. hen, however. all oi the cards are removed from the lowermost compartment. the operator simply turns the crank handle 45 and operates the mechanism of the machine for mechanically transition ring the lowermost compartment member 12 from the lower part 0:! the series to the upper part of the series.

The whole series during this operation movesdownwardly the distance oil one compartment thickness.

It will be noted that when the bottom member 17 slid out from under the lowermost compartment member and the remaining compartment members of the series are slid upwardly a short distance, the weight of the stack will tend to engage the beveled edge 14 ot' the upper side wall of the lowermost container for contributing to Forcing the lowermost container downwardly.

I provide in the lower part of the coutainer 10 a magazine 66 for cards (37. At each side of the container 10 is an elongated slot 68 and the material at the lower edge of the slot is out-turned as at (39. (See Figure 6.)

Projecting into the nmgaziue (ill is :1. V- shaped separator 70.

At the middle of the bottom ol the 1l'l:l 1Ill zine is a block 71 to which are secured springs 72 curved upwardly and outwardly assliown in Figure 6 and having at. their upper ends curved linger portions 73 lhljtlcent to the lower edges oi the slots (38.

Cards 67 are placed in the magazine at each side tl'iereof, and their upper edges are pressed towards the slots 68 by the springs 72 for making it easy to slip the cards out of the magazine. The a rds are inserted into the magazine through a door 74 at the back of the container 10.

Changes may be made in the details of the construction and arrangen'ient ot the parts of my improved record file. and it is my intention to cover by my claims, any

lllfi ten on? modilicd towns of structure or use oil: meehani al equivalents, which may be reasonablyinclnded Within their scope.

I claim as my invcn tion:

1. in a record keeping device, a case, a series of cmnpartment members therein, mechanism for moving the members successively from one end to the 0 er of the ily permit the series to advance liistai'itially the widta of one member, and n'ieans for preventing the operation of the device until the contents have been ren'ioved from the eoi'npartment member next in order to be so moved.

a record keeping; device. case, a

series o't' compartment members therein, a movable bottom at one end of the case, means for act noting said bot om for pcrn'iittmg the end compartment i'nclnber to drop, means adapted to be controlled by contents in the end cmnpartment for rendering said last means inoperative, and means tor carrviim; the member so dropped, to the olherend of the case.

3. in a record keeping device, a case with an inclined bottom, a series o'li compartment nien'ibers therein having inclined bottom parts, so that the compartment members stand upright on the case botton'i, a 1110" 7 ,l3l,6 bottom at one end of the case, means for actuating said bottom for peri'i'iitting the end compartment niemb :r to drop, a conveyor lior carrying the member so dropped to the other end of the case, and means for preventn'ig the next succeeding con'lpartm-ent member from dropping when said bottom so acti1- ated.

4. in a device 0- the class described, an inclinedcasing, haying; a bottom terminating short of the lower end of the casing, a series of compartment members in said casing havinn tront walls and side walls, the side walls being beveled at their lower edges, a slidablc bottom member at the lower end of said easinn, normally yieldingly held in closure position and means for actuating said slidable bottom member tor dropping; out the lowermost con'ipartment member of said series.

in a device of the class described, an inclined casing, havinp; a bottom termination short of the lower end oi the casing, n in'ies o'li compertinent members in said casing having 'lront walls and side walls, the side walls being beveled at their lower edges, a slidable bottom membe at the lower end oi? said ens ing, means for actuating said slidable botton'i member for dropping out the lowermost comparti'nent member oi said series, and recalls for engaging and holding the next upper member of the series while the lowermost member is being released.

6. In a record keeping device, an inclined case having a bottom terminating short of the lower end of the case, a series of compartment members received in said case, a

slidable bottom at the lower end of said. case, a trigger plate pivoted thereto and adapted to normally stand in one position and to be held in another position by the contents of the lowern'iost con'lpartment member, and means :lor actuating said bottom member tor permitting the lowermost tiOll'll'Jttl'lllllQllb member to drop from the case.

i'. in a record lice-ping device, an inclined case having a bottom terminating short of the lower end of the case, a series o'l compirtment members received. in said case, a slidable bottom at the lower end or said case, a trigger plate pivoted thereto and adapted to mirn'ially stand in one position and to be held in another position by the contents of the lowermost con'ipartment member, said slidable bottom member having an opening to permit a portion. of sold t1. or plate to project into said ei'1se,'and mean i actuating said ,bottom inen'ibcr for pern'litting the lowermost compartment member to drop :lrom the case.

o. in a record keeping device, an inclined ease having a bottom terminatingshort of the lower end of the case, a series of compartment members received in said case, a slidable bottom at the lower end of said case, a tri 'ger plate pivoted thereto and adapted to normally stand in one position and to be held in another position by the contents of the lowermost cin'i'i lartn'lentmen'iber, said slidable bottom member having an opening; to permit a portion of said trigger plate to project into said case, n'leans for actuating said bottom member for permitting the lowermost compartn'i'ent member to drop from the case, and means for retaining the next to the lowermost con'ipartment member of the series in the case while the lowermost member is bein dropped.

9. In a record lree] inp; device, an inclined case having a bottom terminating short of the lower end oi the case, a series of compartment meml'iers received in said case, a slidable bottom at the lower end of said case, a tri gor plate pivoted thereto and adapted to normally stand in one position and to be held inv another position by the contents o t the lOWMfll'lOSll compartment member, said slidable bottom member having; an opening), to pern'iit a portirm oi said, trigger plate to project into said case, means for actuating; said bottom ll'lfll'l'llllfilf -tor permittiing the lowermost con'ipartment member to drop from the case, and n'ieans for reti'rining the neat to the lowermost cmnpart nent member of the series in the case while the lOWGlll'lOSl] meet her is being dropped, said means being; car ried by said trigger plate.

10. In a record keeping device, an inclined casing, a series of members arranged therein, means for successively dropping one memher ot the series from the lower end of the dropped to the upper end of the series, said means comprising a pair of ohams, hngers thereon, and meansfor actuating said chains.

7 11. In a record keeping device, an inclined easing, a series of members arranged therein, means for successively dropping one member of the series from the lower end of the casing, and means for moving the member so dropped to the upper end of the series, said casing having a wall. at its upper end and having a spring supported by said wall for engaging: a eon' partn'ient member which has been slid upwardly adjacentto said wall within the casing.

12, In a record keeping device, an inclined casing, a series of members arranged therein, means for successively dropping one member of the series from the lower end of the easing, and means for moving the member so dropped to the upper end of the series, said means comprising a pair o l chains and curved lingers thereon, means for aeluating said chains, a wall at the upper end of said casing terminating just below the upper end or the casing and adjacent to the upper portions of the chains and provided with slots for said lingers and for said chains.

13. In a record keeping device, a case, a series of compartment members therein, a

movable bottom at one end of the case. means for actuating, said bottom for permitting the end eompartment member to drop, means adapted to be controlled by contents in the end compartment for rendering said last means inoperative.

Des Moincs, Iowa, November 12, 192;.

GLEN D. COOPER. 

